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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on the 6th. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung emphasized on the 6th, "Never again should investigative and prosecutorial functions be abused by political power, swayed, or prevented from properly performing their original roles."

Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday morning, President Lee referred to the abolition of the Prosecution Service and the launch of the Prosecution Office and the Major Crimes Investigation Agency (MCIA) as a "historic decision by the people," making the remarks during the session. Jeon Jong-min, deputy head and acting head of the MCIA, and Lee Jeong-hyun, deputy head and acting head of the Prosecution Office, attended the meeting for the first time.

Touching upon the expression regarding the prosecution—"enriching themselves by covering up crimes, and advancing their careers by fabricating them"—President Lee explained that the two functions were split after the prosecution, having held both investigative and prosecutorial powers, abused them.

President Lee pointed out, "Things reached a point where the state abused power to frame individuals with crimes they did not commit," adding, "Entrusted with state power to solve issues (such as robbery and kidnapping), committing such offenses instead using that very power is far graver than crimes committed by civilians." He continued, "Acts were indeed committed where individuals misunderstood power as something given, inherited, or divinely granted, exercising it recklessly."

He called upon the MCIA and the Prosecution Office to conduct investigations without sanctuary and to exercise their powers with restraint. President Lee urged, "Regardless of sides or partisan lines, please investigate strictly and thoroughly without the slightest hesitation when it comes to criminal acts by the so-called social leadership class, the highly educated, and the wealthy."

He also stressed, "Throughout my life, I have held onto the adage that even if ten criminals are let go, not a single wrongful suspect should be created," adding, "Please do your utmost to safeguard human rights so that no one suffers unjustly in the process of maintaining national and social order, and become trusted investigative and prosecutorial institutions."

Following the Cabinet meeting, President Lee held a luncheon with Acting MCIA Head Jeon, Acting Prosecution Office Head Lee, and Acting National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Jong-chul, reportedly calling for the smooth settlement of the Prosecution Office and the MCIA—launched on the 2nd—as well as the fair and strict enforcement of the rule of law.

In addition, President Lee announced plans to inject 200 billion won into the Agriculture and Fisheries Win-Win Cooperation Fund next year, with an additional 500 billion won to be allocated down the line to expand the fund beyond its original target of 1 trillion won.

Regarding South Korea's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), he ordered thorough communication with farmers and fishers.

President Lee directed officials to weigh the national interest based on the premise of trust and consensus among the agricultural community, instructing them "not to rush toward a predetermined conclusion, but to reopen dialogue from scratch," according to Senior Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung during a briefing.

                                                                                                             Hong Sun-mi